Demand Planner at Lactalis American Group Inc

Buffalo, New York, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

23 Jun, 26

Salary

75000.0

Posted On

25 Mar, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Demand Forecasting, S&OP Process, CDP Process, Data Analysis, Forecasting Software, Inventory Deployment, Report Publishing, Forecast Accuracy, Customer Buying Patterns, New Product Forecasting, Communication Skills, Change Implementation, Supply Chain Planning, Training

Industry

Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Description

Description Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose. At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive—whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed. As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together. In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani® Italian cheeses and ricotta, Président® specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft® natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s® cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond® cheddar, and Parmalat® milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi’s®, Stonyfield Organic®, Brown Cow™, Oui®, Yoplait®, Go-Gurt®, :ratio®, Green Mountain Creamery®, and Mountain High®, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun®, Gopi®, and Arz®. At Lactalis, we live by our core values—Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued. Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy. From your PASSION to ours Lactalis American Group, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Demand Planner based in Buffalo, NY. As a Demand Planner, the role will be responsible for the short, medium, and long-range demand forecasting of assigned product lines and/or channels of business. Will analyze demand and use forecasting software to generate resource and D.C. level forecasts. Must have a thorough understanding of the linkages between the market, various distribution channels, the sales forecast, the strategic plan, and the master production schedule. From your EXPERTISE to ours Key responsibilities for this position include: Continuously improve the sales forecasting process within the S&OP process. Drive the CDP process with Commercial and Finance teams to align the financial forecast with the Consensus Demand Plan. Any significant variances need to be analyzed for clarity. Obtain and analyze data from the industry, the Sales force, Central Planning, and the Customer Service Department for inclusion into the rolling short-term and long-term demand forecast. Regularly validate forecast splits down to the Item/D.C./week level. Adjust the short-term D.C. week forecasts as necessary to support effective deployment of inventory. Produce and publish CDP reports and forecast accuracy metrics. Explain variances, note uncertainty, and highlight risk areas. Ensure clear presentational skills for audiences not familiar with department tools and verbiage. Analyze buying patterns of key customers and predict how they will react to incentives. Analyze market response to new products and use this to develop forecasts for new items not yet introduced. Work directly with Demand Planning manager on projects, and drive change with implementing new processes when applicable. Regularly communicate with Central Supply Planner(s) to identify any challenges and/or bottlenecks. Perform ongoing analysis of factors affecting forecasts and develop forecasts in a timely manner for communication. Provide any necessary training to new demand planners or associate demand planners. Requirements From your EXPERTISE to ours Key responsibilities for this position include: Continuously improve the sales forecasting process within the S&OP process. Drive the CDP process with Commercial and Finance teams to align the financial forecast with the Consensus Demand Plan. Any significant variances need to be analyzed for clarity. Obtain and analyze data from the industry, the Sales force, Central Planning, and the Customer Service Department for inclusion into the rolling short-term and long-term demand forecast. Regularly validate forecast splits down to the Item/D.C./week level. Adjust the short-term D.C. week forecasts as necessary to support effective deployment of inventory. Produce and publish CDP reports and forecast accuracy metrics. Explain variances, note uncertainty, and highlight risk areas. Ensure clear presentational skills for audiences not familiar with department tools and verbiage. Analyze buying patterns of key customers and predict how they will react to incentives. Analyze market response to new products and use this to develop forecasts for new items not yet introduced. Work directly with Demand Planning manager on projects, and drive change with implementing new processes when applicable. Regularly communicate with Central Supply Planner(s) to identify any challenges and/or bottlenecks. Perform ongoing analysis of factors affecting forecasts and develop forecasts in a timely manner for communication. Provide any necessary training to new demand planners or associate demand planners. From your STORY to ours Qualified applicants will contribute the following: Education Bachelor's degree is preferred. Majors in Supply Chain, Finance, or Statistics is preferred. Experience 2+ years of Demand Planning experience is preferred. Experience in the Food Industry, Relative Supply Chain, or Financial Analysis preferred. Certifications and specific knowledge The following certifications are a plus for this role: APICS or CPIM. Ability to learn and use FuturMaster, Kinaxis, Stratum, and AS/400. Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially Power BI, Microsoft Excel and ability to work with Pivot Tables. Strong communication skills to effectively work with cross functional teams in a clear and concise format for all pertinent audiences. Bilingual (Spanish/English) is a plus, but not required At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career. Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. #LI-Hybrid

Responsibilities

The Demand Planner is responsible for short, medium, and long-range demand forecasting for assigned product lines, analyzing demand using forecasting software to generate resource and distribution center level forecasts. Key duties include continuously improving the sales forecasting process within S&OP, driving the Consensus Demand Plan (CDP) process, and analyzing variances between financial and consensus forecasts.